ANAHEIM – Mike Trout broke out of his slump in the biggest possible way Thursday at Angel Stadium.

The Angels center fielder, struggling for nearly two weeks, slammed a walk-off three-run homer against Rays right-hander Brad Boxberger in the ninth inning, completing a wild comeback and giving the Angels a 6-5 win.

Trout was 7 for his last 50 until the homer, although he did reach base twice earlier in the game, once on a hit-by-pitch and once on an error by Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar. He has now struck out 52 times, the most in the major leagues. He is on pace to strike out 211 times, 12 shy of baseball’s all-time record set in 2009 by Mark Reynolds.

But no matter: the Angels (22-18) are hotter than the Southern California weather, winners of seven of their last 10.

Young left-hander Tyler Skaggs started and couldn’t escape the Rays' order the third time through. He allowed three runs in the sixth inning, hurt by a deflection by Angels third baseman Luis Jimenez, and then another run in the seventh on Brandon Guyer’s first-career homer.

In all, Skaggs struck out five and walked one in six-plus innings, but allowed eight hits and five runs. He has finished six innings in seven of his eight starts this season.

The Angels won two challenges while hitting Thursday, but neither resulted in any runs.

In the fifth inning, Manager Mike Scioscia challenged an out call at second when Grant Green tried to stretch a single into a double. When it was reversed, the Angels had runners at second and third with one out, but they couldn’t convert.

Then, in the seventh inning, Trout tried to tag from first on a deep fly out from Albert Pujols. He was called out at second and ruled safe after a Scioscia challenge, giving the Angels runners on second and third with two out, but again they couldn’t convert.

The Angels are 6-4 on challenges this season.

Both Angel runs came in the sixth inning, when Howie Kendrick and C.J. Cron knocked two-out singles off Rays left-hander Erik Bedard and Erick Aybar slapped a ball under the glove of Tampa Bay first baseman James Loney, scoring Kendrick.

Raul Ibanez followed with a pinch-hit single to left for his 20th RBI of 2014 on his 16th hit.

In relief of Skaggs, right-handers Kevin Jepsen, Michael Morin and Fernando Salas (3-0) all pitched scoreless and hitless innings. Jepsen did walk two men, but that was it.

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